Support device



Aug.- 24, 1948 Filed March 27, 1943 J. K. WOOD SUPPORT DEVICE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR g- 1948- J. K. WOOD 2,447,830

SUPPORT DEVICE I Filed March 2 7, 1943 l .2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR J05 eph Kaye %0d ATI'ORN Patented Aug. 24, 1948 SUPPORT DEVICE Joseph Kaye Wood, New York, N. Y., assignor to General Spring Corporation, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application March 27, 1943, Serial No. 480,747

This invention relates to the control of heat transfer and more particularly to the control of transfer through supporting devices wherein strong engagement is made possible between parts which are normally maintained at widely different temperatures.

It has been common in many different classes of apparatus to provide portions of the apparatus with thermal insulation and such insulation has effected a very important saving in energy losses which would otherwise result from thermal radiation, conduction and convection. In most cases, however, the connection by which the insulated part or member must be supported has offered a leakage path through which substantial heat losses occur and these losses have been considered inevitable.

It is an object of my invention to reduce and substantially to eliminate the losses through supporting connections. It is likewise an object of the invention to provide a strong and rigid support which nevertheless has relatively very low heat conductivity.

I have found that these objects can be attained by use of supporting connections wherein engagement is made by sharp members engaging relatively broad surfaces.

Although in this specification and the accompanying drawings I have shown and described a preferred embodiment of my invention and have suggested various modifications thereof, it is to be understood that these are not intended to be exhaustive nor limiting of the invention, but on the contrary are given for purposes of illustration in order that others skilled in the art may fully understand the invention and the principles thereof and manner of applying the same in practical use and be enabled to modify and adapt it in various forms each as may be best suited to the conditions of a particular use.

In these drawings in which like reference characters refer to like parts throughout Figure 1 is a view of a section of a vertical pipe and the supporting base structure therefor, with the thermal insulation on the pipe shown in vertical section;

Figure 2 is a fragmentary view, partly in side elevation, partly in section, taken from the side of the structure shown in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a fragmentary view on an enlarged scale of a similar connection, but modified for the support of a horizontal pipe} Figure 4: is a. view, partly in section, partly in elevation, taken on line 4-- l of Figure 3;

Figure 5 is a view similar to Figure 3, but showing. modified embodiment of the invention; and

Figure 6 is a plan view showing the heat limiting washer used in Figure 5.

Referring first to Figures 1 and 2, a short vertical section of a. typical pipe system is shown at 10 Claims. (01. 24 8---54) Iii-and this is covered with a suitable insulating sleeve l 1 shown, the front half of which has been broken away and the remainder shown in section for purposes of illustration. Lugs I2 are formed or welded on the side of the pipe It to provide engagement for a clamp Bend the ends l=5 of this clamp are extended and shown on opposite sides of a lug M, constituting the lower end of a suit-. able pipe hanger. The hanger illustrated in-this case is of the type described and claimed in my Patent No. 2,335,834, and may be mounted as described in my copending application Serial No. 480,746 filed herewith, now Patent No. 2,439,067. The upper end of this hanger is bolted to a suit= able base 20, which, as shown, may be beams or other frame structures. i l i The ends l5 of the clamp and the ends M of the hanger are suitably drilled for reception of the bolts IS. The ends of the bolts is are suitably threaded for reception of nuts by which the ends of the clamp are drawn down against the ends of the hanger.

The central shank portion ll of' the bolt i6 is formed with projections which engage the inside of'the holes in the hanger l4 and clamp l3, respectively, with substantially line contact along spaced lines, so as to afl'ord adequate support with a minimum heat-conducting contact areas Spaced around the bolt If in the end of the hanger M are smaller bolts or pins 18 pointed on their opposite ends. and the points terminating substantially at the faces, respectively, of the ends I 5 of clamp l3 and projecting somewhat beyond the faces of the end M of the hanger;

When the nuts are drawn down on the bolts it so as to clamp the lugs or ends l5 of the clamp 13 against the lug 14 on the end of the hanger; these parts do not actually come into contact, but instead the clamp comes in contact only with the sharp ends of the bolts or pinsv l8 and these serve to hold parts spaced so as to, minimize, heat production therebetween. Likewise, the bolt I6 contacts with the lugs I5 on the clamp and lugs ill on the hanger only at its sharp} edges and thus avoids conveying heat between these parts. I

Figures 3 and 4 illustrate the application of the same connecting structure to a horizontal steam line, in this case a pipe covered with insulation may be supported by aclamp 13a em} bracing the pipe and having at its end lugs I,5a, between which is received the lug M on the end of the hanger, all of these lugs being drilled for reception of the bolt I-B. In this case, as in the easeillustrated in Figures 1 and 2, additional bolts or pins l8 pointed at their opposite ends are positioned around the main supporting bolt l6; and in this case the central portion or shank I! of the bolt I6, is made square in form. The operation in both cases is'the same. I

I have found it advantageous inorder to assure a minimum contact area between the parts, to case harden shank l1 and preferably the inner surface of the hole in the lug l4 and likewise case harden the surfaces of the lugs I5 and l5a and the ends of the bolts or pins l8. Or, these parts may be made of a hardenable alloy suitably heat-treated to develop the desired hardness. I have found it particularly advantageous in the case of the bolts, to use an 18-8 stainless steel or other low-heat conductivity, relatively hard alloy steel.

Instead of the pointed bolts or pins l8 and squared bolts l6 as shown in Figures 1 to 4, inclusive, it is sometimes an advantage to use other forms, e.g. star or corrugated shapes. Thus, for example I have shown in Figures 5 and 6 a washer l8b having radial sharp edges spaced apart. In this case the sharp edges engage the faces of the opposed lugs with line contact and thereby again minimize the heat conduction between the lugs. Here, again, it is advantageous to use a material of high hardness and low heat conductivity, preferably a hardenable alloy which is formed by coining or hobbing and subsequently heat treated.

What I claim is:

1. A device for supporting a thermally in-- sulated member of a heated plant apparatus from a frame member which is normally at a substantially different temperature which comprises lugs attached to said members respectively, said lugs being arranged side-by-side with communicating holes transversely therethrough, a. bolt extending through the holes in said lugs, said bolt being formed with cross-sectional shape relative to the cross-sectional shape of said hole within said lug on at least one of said members such that the bolt is supported substantially only along a line contact.

2. A device for supporting a thermally insulated member of a plant apparatus from a frame member which is normally at a substantially different temperature which comprises lugs attached to said members respectively, said lugs being arranged side-by-side with communicating holes transversely therethrough, a bolt extending through the holes in said lugs, said bolt being formed with cross-sectional shape relative to the cross-sectional shape of said hole within said lug on at least one of said members such that the bolt is supported with substantially line contact, said lugs being held apart by a sharp member engaged between them.

3. A device for controlling heat transfer between surfaces of supported and supporting members clamped together in a plant apparatus wherein one of said members during normal operation is at a substantially higher temperature than the other which comprises spacer means interposed between them adapted to have secure engagement with one of said members and to present to the other member a plurality of sharp projections terminating in a geometrical surface conforming substantially to the surface of the other member.

4. A device for controlling heat transfer between supported and supporting members bolted together in a plant apparatus wherein one of said members during normal operation is at a substantially higher temperature than the other which comprises a bolt having a series of spaced sharp projections terminating in a cylindrical surface and the sharp extremities thereof b n case hardened.

- 5. A device for controlling heat transfer between surfaces of an intermediate member and opposed spaced members clamped thereon, which comprises in combination with said intermediate member a plurality of spaced pins extended 'therethrough with opposite ends projecting somewhat above the surfaces thereof and terminating at each side in the same plane and in a sharp end whereby said members are held spaced apart with a very small heat conduction area.

6. A device for controlling heat transfer between surfaces of members clamped together which comprises a washer having one side thereof adaptedto engage the surface of one of said members and the other side thereof to engage the opposed surface of another of said members at least one of said sides having spaced sharp projection thereon terminating in a geometrical surface corresponding to the surface of said member which is to be engaged thereby and said sharp projections being hardened.

7. A device for controlling heat transfer between surfaces of members clamped together which comprises a plate member having one side thereof adapted to engage the surface of one of said members and the other side thereof to engage the opposed surface of another of said members at least one of said sides having spaced sharp projections thereon terminating in a geometrical surface corresponding to the surface of said member which is to be engaged thereby and said sharp projections being hardened.

8. A support for plant apparatus which in normal operation is at temperatures substantially different from that of a base from which it derives support, which comprises cooperating members one of which is sharp and the other broad in the contact through which the supporting force is transmitted, one of said members being, when in use, on said base and the other on said apparatus.

9. A substantially rigid support for piping and the like which is characterized by a thermal block comprising opposing members meeting in substantially point or line contact through which the supporting force is transmitted and means securing together said opposing members to maintain said contact against disturbing forces.

10. A substantially rigid support for piping and the like which is characterized by a thermal block comprising opposing members meeting in substantially point or line contact through which the supporting force is transmitted and a bolt securing together said opposing members, by point or line contact with at least one of them, whereby to maintain said opposing members in contact against disturbing forces.

JOSEPH KAYE WOOD.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 317,613 Blake May 12, 1885 622,743 Willment Apr. 11, 1899 639,415 Lutz Dec. 19, 1899 946,061 Mason Jan. 11, 1910 1,466,292 Bell Aug. 28, 1923 1,590,455 Tanron June 29, 1926 1,799,705 Rogers Apr. 7, 1931 1,846,271 Olson Feb. 23, 1932 2,112,336 DuVall Mar. 29, 1938 

